UNESCO prize winner Nicolini loses Lampedusa election

UNESCO peace prize winner Giusi Nicolini is no longer the mayor of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Lampedusa is a stepping-stone island, nearer Africa than Sicily, where most of the asylum seekers who make the desperate passage across the Mediterranean from Libya land. She lost Lampedusa local election last Sunday, ANSA reported.

UNESCO motivated its decision because “since becoming mayor in 2012, Giuseppina Nicolini has been recognized for her boundless humanity and unwavering commitment to refugee crisis management and integration in response to the arrival of thousands of refugees on the shores of Lampedusa and elsewhere in Italy”.